There are two major continents in this world:
The Movermas Continent to the west, and the Milishitan Continent to the east, where I was born and raised.
I was raised in a city called Branusiava, facing the sea, in the Kingdom of Namusia, the second-largest country on that continent.
My birthplace was apparently a village called Tarukki, further inland, where I was identified as a Hero at the church as an infant.
It seems my real parents sold me for money, because I was too small to be raised by ordinary, or rather, poor families.
Apparently, there was also a superstition that black hair was unlucky. Since I have black hair, my real father or mother must have had black hair as well.
It was the Avacarne family, Counts of Branusiava, who bought me.
I was raised as Derus Avacarne, given sufficient nutrition and a moderate education, and I grew up smoothly.
My small body remained small but grew to a decent size, and eventually, though small, I grew up vibrantly and full of health.
My memories from when I was old enough to understand things are of the many maids who took care of me, but I can’t recall their faces at all.
Instead, I always remember the face of Ric, the Countess’s Daughter, who was four years older than me. She had blonde hair in rolls and was already wearing glasses even in my earliest memories.
“Come on, Derus! Push harder!”
“It hurts, Ric, Older Sister. Can we take a break?”
“No, in times like these, you have to say “Ganbarimasu” with a smile, it doesn’t matter if it’s a lie!”
This is how it was during sword practice when Ric was ten and I was six.
Even with wooden practice swords, Ric, who was taller than her age, and I, who was considerably shorter than my age,
and given the age difference, there was no way I could win, and I was soundly defeated every single day.
Illion, who was always sickly, would always watch from the window.
Since they only had these two children, they probably wanted a Hero’s child, even if they were a short, runt.
When the Countess’s Daughter Ric turned twelve, she was to spend three years at the academy in Namusian, the capital of the Kingdom of Namusia.
During that time, my tutor was Frau, a female Cleric with long silver hair and a pleasant figure (though her chest was a bit large).
She was already seventeen at the time, and I was eight.
“Come on, Derus, you! To use a lot of Hero Magic, you need to eat Herbal Salad four times a day!”
“Y-Yes, Ganbarimasu!”
“If you eat enough to fill your stomach at breakfast, lunch, snack time, and dinner, your Hero Magic’s power will surely increase more than that of an ordinary Hero!”
Since I had no height, the policy was to increase my Magic Power rather than my strength,
so I was physically fed Herbal Salad every day to boost my magic power.
If I had the chance, I ate meat too, but due to my body size, I seemed to suit a herbivorous diet.
As I continuously ate different kinds of edible herbs every day, some of them high-class and some a little bitter, I didn’t come to dislike them; instead, I grew to love them.
And Frau, who took care of me every day, I felt as close to her as I imagined a real mother would be.
“Derus! You haven’t neglected your sword practice while I was gone, have you?!”
Every time the academy had long breaks, Ric, carrying her glasses aglow, would return. I felt towards her like a real sister, but
feelings that couldn’t quite be contained within the bounds of sisterhood began to sprout before I knew it. Ric seemed to feel more than just brotherly affection for me, too.
“The Hero you’ve heard about, Derus, is that you… So cute!!”
Every holiday, Mijuki, my close friend, a Magician with blue hair tied in pigtails, would come to play with Ric, Older Sister. She was a bit shorter than average, not the typical gloomy type of Magician, but had a bright smile.
“Mijuki, Older Sister, it, it hurts…!”
“Oh, I’m sorry. You’re just so cute, so cute, so cute, I just had to squeeze you!”
“Alright, alright, Derus is a delicate Hero, so don’t overdo it. After all, he’s mine.”
“Huh? Am I Ric, Older Sister’s,something?”
“That’s unfair! Hey, Derus, say “I like Mijuki, Older Sister”!”
They would always put me in a difficult position like that. Then, three years passed in the blink of an eye.
Ric graduated and returned as a fine Swordsman, strangely enough, bringing Mijuki, Older Sister, with her.
At that time, I was eleven, Ric and Mijuki were fifteen, and Frau was twenty.
“Nice to meet you! I’m Harvey, from the Baron Gagana house! This is Ponk, a Werewolf I Tammed! Nice to meet you!”
She arrived with short blue hair, and while not as tall as Ric, she was fairly tall.
Harvey was a healthy-looking girl, about my age, who tamed animals and monsters with magic. Her chest was, well, moderate.
“Welcome! Welcome to my Avacarne family estate! I am Ric Avacarne, the eldest daughter.”
“I am Frau, Derus’s tutor and a Cleric. I will also be responsible for your education, albeit for a short time.”
“I’m currently on a homestay, Mijuki, a Magician. Nice to meet you too, Ponk! …Come on, Derus!”
“Y-Yes, I am Derus, Derus Avacarne! Yes! Yes!”
“I don’t quite understand everything, but nice to meet you, Derus!”
Yes, at the time, neither Harvey nor I fully understood why Harvey had come to the Avacarne estate.
I later learned that the Baron Gagana family, in order to strengthen their relationship with the Avacarne family, had essentially sent her away as a bride, telling her she could do whatever she pleased.
However, perhaps because Illion Avacarne, the heir, was ill and recuperating, he didn’t take a liking to her.
As a result, one year later…
“Derus! I’m so looking forward to being at the same academy with you!”
“Y-Yeah, I’m so short, I’ll definitely be made fun of, so it’s a relief to have friends from the start…”
“If anyone makes fun of you, my Ponk will bite them! I’ll bite them too!”
I too was to live in a dormitory at the royal academy, just like Ric, Older Sister. Harvey would be with me.
“Harvey, listen well? Take good care of Derus? If anything happens, contact me immediately, and I’ll send a carriage. Derus, you too!”
“Derus, Harvey the Tamer isn’t very strong on her own. If it comes to it, Derus, you protect Harvey.”
“Derus, Derus! I wanted to stay in your dorm, your room, but it’s not allowed, so I’ll come visit! I’ll check on you!”
“Hahaha… Derus, Ganbarimasu!”
My academy life surprisingly went without bullying. Partly because I was a rare Hero, but also because Ric, Older Sister, who had previously been very influential at the academy, had sternly warned her juniors, who in turn warned their juniors, who then dealt with the rougher elements among my classmates.
Of course, I was teased about my black hair and my extremely short stature with jokes, but if it went a little too far, Harvey would discreetly do something…
The next day, the person who had been saying things would be apologizing profusely, and Harvey would nod her head as if to say “there, there,” so that’s probably what happened.
During long breaks, Ric, Older Sister, and the others would come all the way from Branusiava to Namusian, the royal capital, and fuss over me.
They were so thoughtful that they gave gifts to academy staff, my seniors, and even my classmates who had no reason to be involved. They even used the Count family’s name to subtly threaten those of lower rank, which I politely asked them to stop.
“But it’s all for Derus.”
Ric, Older Sister, and the others went to such lengths for me.
Perhaps because the environment was so good, I too wanted to live up to their expectations and devoted myself to honing my powers as a Hero and studying diligently.
And so, upon graduating from the academy, I returned to the Avacarne estate, only to be told an unbelievable word by the head of the family. It was…
An engagement between myself and Ric, Older Sister.
Ric spoke with a happy smile, her glasses gleaming.
“Surprised? This is my will too, but there are conditions.”
“W-What kind?”
“To achieve merit as a Hero. Specifically, if possible, to defeat the greatest Demon Lord on this continent.
At the very least, to reach Rank A as an adventurer. If you do that, I can transfer my title and acquire others.”
Indeed, Heroes who contribute greatly to their country can receive a Hero Title from the King, which is higher than a knighthood.
Even if they don’t receive it directly, their achievements allow them to inherit a noble title. The Hero Title is treated almost the same as a Duke.
I’ll omit the detailed explanation here as it would make the story too long, but when a Hero receives a noble title, astonishingly…
“Listen well, Derus. If that happens, you can marry four wives. I will be the legitimate wife, and the concubines will be…”
Frau, Mijuki, Older Sister, and Harvey appeared smiling.
“Leave the healing to me! Let’s work hard to reach Rank A as soon as possible, Derus.”
“I’ll show you my true magic, Derus. You Hero, just relax and be confident.”
“Ponk is getting old, so I’ll leave him at the Avacarne estate as a guard dog. But I’ll show you my true skills as a Tamer, and in the future, I’ll tame a Dragon for you!”
“Thank you… Alright, Derus, Ganbarimasu!!!”
At the time of our departure, Harvey and I were fifteen years old, Ric and Mijuki were nineteen, and Frau was twenty-four.
“So Derus, what should we name the party?”
“Hmm… Derus Party… DeriPa… Something’s not right…”
“Derus, it’s a party for you, Derus, so let’s include Derus’s name.”
“How about Derus Royal Guard? Huh, Derus, what do you think?”
“Derus, you decide! Then no one will complain!”
After thinking for a moment…
“Since we want to soar together, let’s call it Derus Flyers!”
And so, I, the Hero; Ric, the Swordsman; Frau, the Cleric; Mijuki, the Magician; and Harvey, the Tamer, in a relationship that could truly be called a Harem Party, set out into the world of adventure.
Three years later, I had no idea such a thing would happen…
